While waiting to know whether or not he continues his career, Andre Iguodala multiplies his interventions in podcasts, and this time, we find him alongside JJ Redick. The opportunity to talk about two of the biggest franchises of the last ten years, the Warriors and the Heat. Between them, these two teams have participated in 12 of the last 18 NBA Finals, and “Iggy” has played in 7, for four titles, all obtained with the Warriors.
Sacrificed by the Warriors in 2019 after the defeat against the Raptors, Andre Iguodala bounced back to the Heat in 2020, and he tells the famous “Heat Culture”.
“I shouldn’t say that because it could be misinterpreted but whatever…” he begins. “It’s like going to prison when they give you your orange outfit and your flip-flops. I received my jersey, training jersey, training shorts and socks. Then the knee pads and the mouth guard. »
“We work harder in training than in matches”
Surprised by all this paraphernalia, Andre Iguodala refuses. “I don’t need that, I don’t wear knee pads and mouth guards” he says. “I’ve been in the NBA for 15, 16 years, and I’ve had success. ». But as in Miami, we insist, he agrees to comply with local requirements. “Once I accepted it, I said to myself, ‘We get more banged up than anyone in the NBA, and that really counts at the end of the season.’ »
Indeed, the Heat will reach the finals in 2020, in the “bubble” with Jimmy Butler on the verge of exhaustion after epic battles.
The following year, again, except that “Iggy” discovered that this very demanding culture could have its effects on certain players.
“But there are side effects to this. In my second year at Miami, we were last in the league in open shooting percentage” he continues. “I had a big talk with a few coaches, and they changed a little bit. I noticed it. I’ve noticed that stress affects you when you say to yourself, ‘I can’t miss an open shot.’ Since we get more worked up in practice than in a match, I told the guys: ‘Hey, the match is easy. We work too hard to be stressed on the pitch. But your brain is always stuck on the theme of ‘Don’t make mistakes’ and sometimes it blocks you so much. »
And Andre Iguodala takes the example of Duncan Robinson, a player who has experienced very highs but also very lows, mainly because of a crisis of confidence.
“When Duncan missed a wide open shot, he thought the world was going to fall apart,” he concludes. “In his head he was like, ‘No, I’m here to shoot, I can never miss.’ I love that state of mind, but I told him: ‘Duncan, if you miss a shot, that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop passing you’. »
